Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are useful for a wide variety of both civilian and military applications. In the maritime environment, for example, there is a need for UAVs to perform various payload lifting operations, including payload lifting in electronic warfare scenarios. Current solutions designed to lift payloads in these environments include electric and internal combustion engine powered UAVs. These vehicles tend to be large in size and expensive to produce and operate. Moreover, their lifting mechanisms and associated propulsion systems are inherently heavy and reduce lifting capacity.
Alternative systems offering large payload space, weight and/or power (SWAP) margins, while providing long endurance and the ability to operate in a maritime environment are desired.